Erion Veliaj’s transfer from Durrës prison to Fier prison has prompted an official reaction from the Ministry of Justice, in a case that is raising questions about how transfers are being managed in the penitentiary system. At the same time, Minister Toni Gogu has ordered checks into a series of other transfers carried out over just a few days.
Official response to Çuçi and Xhafaj
Justice Minister Toni Gogu has sent an official response to Bledi Çuçi and Fatmir Xhafaj regarding the transfer of Tirana Mayor Erion Veliaj from Durrës prison to Fier prison.
No further details have been made public about the content of that response, but the fact that the matter has moved into official communication shows that the transfer has taken on political and institutional weight beyond an ordinary administrative procedure.
Awaiting the Prisons Directorate’s position
A response is also still pending from the General Directorate of Prisons, the institution that must clarify the official version of the procedures followed in this case.
The lack of a full explanation from the prison administration leaves open the debate over whether the transfer was carried out on standard grounds or under circumstances that require a more detailed public explanation.
Inspection into 24 transfers in 11 days
The Justice Minister has ordered the launch of an inspection into 24 prisoner transfers carried out over the past 11 days.
According to the information made public, the review aims to examine the procedures followed for these moves. The high number of transfers in such a short period has increased interest in understanding whether the rules and administrative criteria were respected in every case.
Conclusions after the administrative review
Sources say the inspection’s conclusions are expected after the official response from the Prisons Directorate arrives.
This means that, at least for now, institutions are signaling that they are handling the matter through administrative channels, while a full clarification of Veliaj’s transfer and the other 24 cases remains incomplete.
At its core, the issue is not limited only to the movement of a well-known name, but to the standard being applied to transfers within the prison system.
Until there is a full response from the Prisons Directorate and the inspection results, the official version remains only partial.